AUGUST 17, 1916.
United States Anti-Aircraft Guns.
AFTER three years experimenting the U.S. Bureau of
Ordnance has produced an anti-aircraft weapon which,
according to the Washington correspondent of the New York
World, is a machine rifle about 50 calibres long, capable of
throwing a 3-in. shell 27,000 ft. at an angle of 90 degs. It
can also deliver its charge at rapid fire rate. These guns have
already been fitted on the battleships " Pennsylvania " and
" Nevada," and 18 other battleships and cruisers are to be
equipped with them, two guns on each vessel. They will
be mounted fore and aft on the rear stands of the gun turrets.
The First Hydro-aeroplane In the States.
THE District Supreme Court of New York has just
reversed a decision of the U.S. Commissioner of Patents,
and decided that priority of invention of the hydro-aeroplane
in the U.S. belongs to Albert S. Tanin, who produced a device
for the purpose in 1909, about a year ahead of Glenn H.
Curtiss, who experimented in this direction at Hammonds-
port in 1910.
More Squeals from the Boche.
THERE are abundant proofs that the Boche does not like
the medicine made to his own prescription. Another instance
emanates from the headquarters of the Seventh Army Corps
at Maintz in the form of a proclamation to farmers. This
says :—
" We learn from a reliable source that an Anglo-French
Flying Corps is being formed for the purpose of dropping a
special kind of fire bomb on our fields as soon as our harvest
is ripe and dry weather has prevailed for some time, in order
to destroy our crops."
Instructions have been issued confidentially to the farmers
as to means of defence.
The Frankiscker Kurier says that the British and French
flying men have already attempted to destroy the Bulgarian
crops in the same way.
Another Raid Fable. *
THE following story, officially sent out from Berlin on
August 12th, is so patently a fable that it scarcely needs the
Official Press Bureau's footnote to the effect that " this
German report is wholly untrue " :—
" Contrary to the assertions of the British Government,
the general conviction reigns in London that the attack on
August 1st was the most serious which London has ever been
through up to the present. Undeniable reports regarding the
airship attack of July 28th-29th, July 31st, and Aug. 1st and
Aug. 2nd-3rd, confirm that very heavy damage was caused. A
hall, which was under construction, with a remount depot,
was completely destroyed. Most of the horses perished.
" At the mouth of the Humber a lighthouse was destroyed.
A small cruiser with three funnels and one mast was badly
damaged. Below Grimsby two munition sheds were com
pletely destroyed. Ships anchored between Grimsby and
Cleethorpes Harbour establishments and in the neighbour
hood of Cleethorpes were seriously damaged.
" The damage caused in Hull amounts to millions. Several
arms and munition works were destroyed, as well as other
establishments of military importance. A panic broke out
amongst the population when they realised that the anti
aircraft guns could do nothing against the airships. The
Harbour of Immingham has been closed on account of the
extensive damage caused in the docks and the coal depots.
" In the region of Norwich there were several cases of
destruction on the railways. To the south of Cambridge a
large factory was set on fire. Near Yarmouth a battery of
searchlights and anti-aircraft guns was destroyed. In Har
wich an airship shed in course of construction was brought
down. In Dover the docks were bombarded for half an hour
and fires were observed there. Woolwich and the surround
ing districts were seriously damaged and several munition
factories were hit. In the eastern suburb of London a cotton
mill used for the manufacture of shell cases was completely
destroyed. Over a 1,000 men and women have been put out
of employment.
" Several large bridges across the Thames, including the
footbridges of the Tower Bridge, were damaged. In the
docks several warehouses and landing piers were destroyed.
Ships anchored there were partly seriously damaged. In one
dock numerous ships, including a large English steamer,
which were supposed to take provisions to France to the
troops, were destroyed by fire. Many persons were wounded,
some seriously, by the anti-aircraft fire. In the Thames a
torpedo-boat was hit by our bombs~and sank. In Oxted,
[^JGHT)
near London, two munition factories were destroyed. The
surroundings of the factories were still on fire the next day."
An Echo of Rut.
AN indication as to the whereabouts of some of those
who were taken prisoners at Kut is afforded by a message
which has been received at Dorchester by the parents of Air-
Mechanic S. J. Wells, R.F.C. He says he is at Angona
(Asiatic Turkey), and is quite well and comfortable.
Zeppelins and Ships.
THE Danish Politiken reports that the Swedish steamer
" Norrland " was attacked last week by a ZepjH-lin near the
Dogger Bank; 30 bombs were thrown, but the steamer
escaped with slight damage.
Another Zeppelin Reported Down.
A MESSAGE from the frontier to the Telegraaf reports
that on August 10th a heavily damaged Zeppelin coming
from the West landed in Belgium.
Count Zeppelin's Night Out.
ACCORDING to the Stockholm Tidningen, which seems to
have heard it from Berlin, Count Zeppelin was on board one
of the raiders during the visit to England on August Sth-gth ;
but we doubt it.
Zeppelin Raids.
SIR E. CORNWALL, in the House of Commons last week,
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he proposes to
make a statement with regard to the recent Zeppelin raids,
whether he will state how many hours they were actually over
this country in their recent visits, and at what stage of the
attack does the responsibility for the defence fall upon the War
Office?
Major Baird : It would not be in the public interest to add
to the information already published regarding recent hostile
air raids. As regards the last part of the question, the
responsibility for dealing with air raiders rests with the Navy,
while they are over the sea, and with the Commander-in-Chief
Home Forces as soon as they cross the coast line. It is
scarcely necessary to add, however, that there is close
co-operation between the Royal Naval Air Service and the
Royal Flying Corps, and that in practice both Services seize
any opportunity of attacking the enemy whether he is over
the land or over the sea.
The Zeppelin Liners.
ENVY aroused by the crossing of the Atlantic by submarine
has possibly again stirred up the Zeppelin liner idea. At any
rate the Berlin correspondent of the Dutch Tyd telegraphs
a story that a few months will see Zeppelin liners crossing the
Atlantic. Trial flights of Zeppelins built for this purpose are
said to have already been made over the Lake of Constance,
and Count Zeppelin is credited with recently piloting one to
the English coast. Their maximum speed, the correspondent
adds, is 200 kiloms. (about 125 miles) an hour, aad they are
able to fly at such a height that no enemy air attack against
them will be possible.
Last Messages from " L 19."
THE Gothenburg Handelstidende states that recently
fishermen at Marstrand picked up a bottle containing a
despatch from Commander Lowes of the wrecked Zeppelin
'• L 19 " (which came to grief some time ago) to his superior
officer, in which he says :—
" With fifteen men on the platform and no gondola, ' L 1 Q '
is going very slowly. I am unable to save the airship. In
foggy weather, we, on our return from England, passed
Holland, and were bombarded by Dutch sentinels. At the
same moment three motors failed. 1 p.m." The bottle
also contained fifteen letters from the crew of the '• L 19 " to
their relatives.
German Seaplanes and Roumania.
COMING from the direction of Varna, three German
seaplanes on August nth flew over the town aad harbour of
Constanta. At a height of 3,000 ft. they flew along the
coast for some distance evidently spying out the land. The
lighthouse keeper of Tuzla reported that one seaplane released
a small balloon, which fell in the sea. The inhabitants were
greatly alarmed.
Don't Like their Own Medicine.
A MESSAGE from Zurich suggests that the real reason
why the Wurtember^ Royal Family and Court have recently
sought a change of air at Fricdrichshafen is that they fear
French aviators may again attack Stuttgart, while the recent
rioting among the discontented populace has not made the
locality a particularly healthy one for Royalty.